Improved railway-switch



UNITED ,STATES PATENT IMPROVED RAILWAY-SWITCH.V

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 87,529, dated March 2,1869.

4To all whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WHARTON, Jr., of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,have invented an Improved Railroad-Switch; and I do hereby declare the`following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements, fully described hereafter,in the railroad-switch for which Letters Patent were the line 1 2, Fig.1 5 Fig. 4, a transverse section on the lineman, Fig. l; and Fig. 5,atransverse section, drawn to an enlarged scale, on the line 3 4, Fig.1.

Similar letters refer to similarl parts throughout the several views.

A and Al are the two permanent rails of the main track B and B,tl1erails of the turnout, and Dl and D the two switch-rails, the rail Dbeing pivoted at `the point a,so as to form a continuation of the railB, and the rail D being pivoted at a', so as to form a continuation ofthe rail B.

Gis a guard-rail, situated at .such a distance fromthe permanent raillAof the main track that the lian ges of the wheels can pass freelybetween the two.

In the present instance this guard-rail is perman ently secured to thecross-'ties 5 but it may, if desired, be so arranged that when theswitch is not in use it shall be moved toward the center of the track asufcient distance to avoid 'being touched bythe wheels of passingtrains.

A method of moving this guard-rail from one end is fully described in mypatent of October 8, 1867, another plan being to fasten the guard-railat both ends and operate it from the center.

The rail D of the switch is so curved laterally toward its outer endthat it can be brought against the outside of the rail A in the mannerillustratedin Fig. 1, and the pointed rail D is in like manner so curvedthat it can be brought in contact with the inner side of the rail A.

The outer ends of the switch-rails D and `Dl are of the same height asor a little below the level of the rails A and A of the main track, butfrom the points y y these switch-rails gradually increase in vheight toabout the points a: rv, they then being continued at a uniform level toa suitable distance, when they may be gradually reduced to the level ofthe rails of the main track.

A guard-rail, H, which is secured to a baseplate, b, upon which thepointed switch-rail D is arranged to slide, is so elevated above thesaid pointed switch-rail that the latter, for a considerable portion ofits length, can slide underneath the guard-rail, as will be seen onreference to the drawing.

The switch-rail D is also arranged to slide upon a base plate, c, ofcast -iron or other metal, which, between the points x and a, is level,or nearly so, with the rail A ofthe main track.

The `switch-rails D and D are connected together by two rods, f and fthe latter being attached to the rail D and arranged to slide through anenlargement of the rod f, as best observed in Fig. 4, there being on theend of the rod j" a shoulder, between which and the said, enlargement ofthe rod f intervenes a rubber or other spring, g, for a purposedescribed hereafter.

A link, t', serves to connect the rod f with a weighted lever, J, bywhich the switch is operated in a manner readily understood on referenceto thc drawing.

Vhen the switch is in the position shown in Fig. 2, the wheels of thecars will traverse the permanent rails A and A `of the main trackWithout coming in contact with the rails of the switch. When the cars,however, have to be transferred from the main track to the turnout, theswitch is moved to the position illustrated in Fig. l, in which case thewheels K K of a car moved in the direction of the arrow will pass fromthe main track t0 the turnout, for the wheel K will be guided laterallyby the guard-rail G, so that the flange of the opposite wheel K shall bedrawn slightly from the main rail A, and be prevented from striking theend of the pointed switch-rail D', but be caused to pass between thelatter and the guard-rail H.

As the wheels continue to move in the direction of the arrow theoverhanging. portion of the tread of the wheel K must run upon and begradually raised by the inclined plane ofthe rail D, which, from aboutthe point w, is so far elevated above the rail Aoil the main track thatthe fian ge of the wheel will be raised above and be freed from the control of lthe said rail A. Until the wheel K has thus been raised abovethe rail of the main track the only office of the pointed switch-rail Dhas been to guide the wheels laterally, so that the entire overhangingportion of the tread of the wheel K might run upon the switch-rail D butwhen this has been accomplished the pointed switchrail, which then takesa more abrupt bend, performs its usual duty in directing the wheels ontothe rails of the turnout.

It will be observed7 ou reference to Fig. l, that the points y y, atwhich the switch-rails begin to rise above the level of the rails of themain track, are opposite, or nearly opposite, to each other, in orderthat the wheels on both sides of the carmay be raised simultaneously, ornearly so, thus preventing the rolling motion of the car, which occurswhen the rail D only is elevated, as shown in my aforesaid patent ofJune 27, 1865.

Although very desirable, it is not absolutely essential in carrying outmy invention, that the pointed switch rail should be thus inclined orraised above the main-track rail A.

It will be evident that the rails D and D/ of the switch can present noimpediment to the cars in a direction contrary to that pointed out bythe arrow, for the wheels must move them away from the permanent railsof the main track should the attendants neglect to restore the switch tothe position shown in Fig. 2.

The object of the guide-rail H is to guide the iianges of the wheels intheir passage over the switch-rails from the turnout onto the rails ot'the main track. This guard-rail also plays an important part if a car ispassed from the turnout onto the main track when the switch has beenleft open, as shown in Fig. 2. In this case the flange of that wheelwhich would have traversed the pointed rail D' had the switch beenproperly adjusted is directed laterally by the guard-rail H against thesaid switch-rail D until it gradually pushes the latter to its properposition, as shown in Fi g. l. This turning of the pointed switch-railwithout a corresponding movement on the part of the rail D is permittedby reason of the compression of the spring D, which intervenes betweenthe connecting-rods j' j". While the iange of one wheel is thus directedand caused to turn the pointed switch-rail it will be evident that theange of the opposite wheel will be drawn over and caused to traverse theplate c and top of the rail A until it drops to its proper place betweenthe said rail A and the guard-rail Gr.

It is preferable that the rail D should slide underneath the guard-railH fora certain portion of its length, in order that the said guardrailmay be placed sufficiently near to the rail A of the main track toperform its duty to the fullest advantage. Yet it is evident that theseveral parts of the switch might be so arranged as to allow the pointedswitch-rail to lie alongside of, instead of pass beneath, the guardrailH.

The weighted lever J, when the switch is adjusted as shown in Fig. l,lies horizontally, and tends to maintain the switch-rails in theposition to which they have been turned for permitting the passage ofcars onto or from the turnout; but when in this position the weightedlever does not oer suiiicient resistance to prevent the turning of theswitch-rails by the wheels of cars passing over the main track in adirection contrary to that pointed out by the arrow, as above described.

By the above arrangement I am enabled to preserve the continuity andpermanency ot' bot-h rails of the main track, as in my former patent ofJune 27, 1865, and upon which- I claim as an improvement, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of the permanent rails Aand A of the main track, the rails B and B ofthe turn-out, theswitch-rails D and D', and the permanent guard-rail H, the whole beingarranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In combination with the above, I claim the base-plate c, for thepurpose specified.

3. Also, in combination with the above and with the base-plate c, theguard-rail G, arranged substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination of the inclined switchrail D with theinclined pointedswitch-rail D', substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WVM. \VHARTON, JR.

Vitnesses:

JOHN WHITE, HARRY SMITH.

